: why is it that this sculpture is assumed to be zea maize? it could be
any number of grasses represented in an "oversized" fashion to compensate
for limitations imposed by carving on stone.

Carrie,

You misunderstand. In fact there are _hundreds_ of such carvings out
there, in those temples. So the possibility of misidentification is
significantly diminished...

Best,

Yuri.

: there are hundreds of relatives of the "zea" family which are in
the old world, and this carving is probably one of them and not maize.
until there is real evidence of maize in the actual archaeological record,
we should completely skeptical of an artistic representation of something
that "looks like" something else. the technical description could fit any
number of grass seedhead types, and be completely accurate as far as that
species is concerned - but not be zea maize.

: if however, someone has excavated a cob, or dried kernals from a
domestic area, that would constitute more acceptable physical proof.